Essay on Natural Symbolism in A Farewell to Arms - 1723 Words

Natural Symbolism in A Farewell to Arms As with many other authors of fictional novels, Ernest Hemingway was often noted for his use of symbolism in his numerous pieces of literature. Natural symbolism plays a significant role in Hemingway’s novel, A Farewell to Arms. This novel uses aspects of nature to structure the plot and provide symbols that replace human emotions. Nature serves as a source of symbols which replace human sentiment or feelings, making the situation seem somewhat less serious. For example, when characters die, there is no mention of pain or suffering, rather it is simply stated that it is raining, or it is autumn. Substituting emotions with symbols of nature allows Hemingway to describe to†¦show more content†¦Almost immediately upon telling him this news, the rains begin and the dry portion of the story has come to an end. ‘It turned cold that night and the next day it was raining.’ (Hemingway 142) This statement thus serves as the separation of the two segments of the novel, the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’, just the same as the first chapter is divided into summer and fall. This separation of the seasons sets up the transition in the plot from good to bad: good being represented by the dry season, bad by the wet season. Therefore, the opening scene which is described as being ‘dry and white’ (Hemingway 3) changes drastically by the end of the story, where the river has turned into a raging torrent. This contrast of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ is also displayed by the events which occur on hard versus soft surfaces. For example, the first military operation is rapidly paced, with the wounded being rushed away in ambulances, and everything from the roads to the operating tables are described as being ‘hard.’ This is the opposite of the second military action, a defeat, that occurs on wet roads, with vehicles becoming submerged in the mud, and where rivers have to be crossed instead of river beds. Therefore, it is proven that the dry, first half of the novel is a more productive, successful version of the wet, sickl y world which proceeds it. The dry world within this book is the successful part, where Henry wins Catherine and the Italian army wins a number ofShow MoreRelated The Forgotten Female in the Works of Ernest Hemingway Essay3143 Words   |  13 Pagesassume is that of donning a masculine persona, especially when reading serious literature (2). In Melvilles work, she says that female characters are almost always described through the device of a male narrator (3). 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